Titans will elevate Rusty Smith from practice squad to back up Ryan Fitzpatrick

Posted by Josh Alper on October 2, 2013, 9:22 AM EST

AP

The Titans took a look at a couple of veteran free agent quarterbacks early this week as they waited for word on the severity of Jake Locker’s hip injury.

David Carr and John Skelton both came in to work out for the team, but neither one of them is going to be joining the Titans to back up Ryan Fitzpatrick while Locker is out. With the determination that Locker doesn’t need surgery and should be able to return in a few weeks, the team has decided to elevate Rusty Smith from the practice squad to be their backup.

“We’re very confident in Rusty, and Rusty knows our system very, very well,” coach Mike Munchak said, via Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean. “He’s been here the last three years with [offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains] and he’s very comfortable with him. He has a strong arm, and he always plays well in preseason. You have to find a guy that you’re comfortable with if [another injury] were to happen this weekend. You have to have a guy you feel can win the football game.”

Smith, a sixth-round pick in 2010, has played three games with the Titans over the last three years. He made one start in place of an injured Vince Young in 2010 and threw three interceptions in a 20-0 loss to the Texans.

Skelton appears to have bounced back from getting passed over as he’s expected to sign with the 49ers after they parted ways with third quarterback B.J. Daniels on Tuesday.

I’m not very confident about Rusty, given how he’s fared in the past, but I’d rather him than Carr or Skelton.

wikipediasaidso says:Oct 2, 2013 10:56 AM

I can’t even remember if Rusty’s actually taken a live regular season snap since his rookie year (if he did, it must not have been memorable in a bad way), so “the way he’s fared in the past” is a long, long time ago.

Don’t really want to see them have to go to their #3 QB ever, including the next few weeks, but I doubt they’d have kept him around this long if he hadn’t developed since his one rookie disaster of a start when he clearly was thrown out there too soon. Has certainly looked the part of viable backup in preseason the last couple of years…but granted it’s preseason.

dodohead418 says:Oct 2, 2013 11:17 AM

I don’t think so in the regular season, but he at least knows the system unlike a Carr or Skelton does.

3rd stringers aren’t typically “good.” So I guess I have to get over how much he has sucked every time he’s played. If you lose your 1st & 2nd string QB might as well tank it the rest of the way & get a better pick.